Les impacts du confinement lié au coronavirus sur la sexualité

Impact of coronavirus disease 2019 on contraception use in France

To limit the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID 19), sanitary restrictions have been established since March 2020 in France. These restrictions and the waves of contamination may have had consequences on the use of health products in general, and on the use of contraceptives in particular. We aimed to assess the impact of COVID 19 pandemic from March 16th 2020 to April 30th 2021 in France on reimbursed contraceptives. We analyzed data from the French national health insurance database (SNDS) by extracting all oral contraception (OC), emergency contraception (EC), levonorgestrel-intrauterine system (LNG-IUS), copper-intrauterine device (C-IUD) and contraceptive implant dispensations in 2018, 2019, 2020 and to April 30th 2021. We computed the expected use of contraceptives in 2020 and 2021 without pandemic and its associated sanitary restrictions, by taking the annual trend into account. We assessed the evolution of dispensations by type of contraceptive and by age-groups (≤25 years old, between 25 and 35 and >35 years old) between observed and expected dispensations. After 15 months of pandemic, a decrease of all reimbursed contraceptives dispensations had been estimated, compared with what was expected: -2.0% for OC, -5.0% for EC, -9.5% for LNG-IUS, -8.6% for C-IUD, -16.4% for implant. Women under 25 years old were the most impacted by the decrease. This national study showed that the impact of the COVID 19 crisis was global on all reimbursed contraceptives, with different levels of impact depending on the type of contraceptive, the age-group and the severity of the restriction. OC dispensing decreased marginally compared with expectations. The decrease in long-acting contraceptives dispensing was more pronounced, especially for the implant. These results call for continued monitoring of contraceptive use over the long term and for prioritizing access to sexual health services during crises, especially among the youngest women who were most affected in this study.

Changes in Solo and Partnered Sexual Behaviors following the First COVID-19 Wave: Data from an International Study of 26 Countries

Objective

To determine individual- and country-level factors associated with self-reported changes in solo and partnered sexual behaviors in an international sample of adults during COVID-19.

Methods

Data were from the International Sexual Health And REproductive Health during COVID-19 study (I-SHARE)-a cross-sectional, multi-country study (N = 26 countries) assessing adult (N = 19,654) sexual/reproductive health before and during the first wave of COVID-19. We examined self-reported changes (three-point scale: decreased, no change, increased) in solo masturbation, hugging/holding hands/cuddling with a partner, sex with a primary partner, sex with a casual partner, sexting with a partner, viewing sexually explicit media and partnered cybersex. Ordinal regression assessed the impact of individual (age, gender- and sexual-identity, romantic partnership status, employment and income stability, household change and content, mental well-being, changes in alcohol use, and changes in marijuana use) and country-level (e.g., Oxford Stringency Index, Human Development Index, and the Palma Ratio) factors on behavior change.

Results

The most common behavior to increase was hugging, kissing, or cuddling with a partner (21.5%), and the most common behavior to decrease was sex with a main partner (36.7%). Household factors like job/income instability and having children over the age of 12 years were significantly associated with decreased affectionate and sexual partnered sexual behaviors; more frequent substance use was linked to significantly increased solo, partnered, and virtual sexual behaviors.

Conclusions

Understanding changes in sexual behaviors-as well as the factors that make changes more or less likely among adults around the world-are important to ensure adequate sexual health support development for future public health emergencies.

The Impact of Household Context on Self-Perceived Changes in Solo and Partnered Sexual Behaviors During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings from a U.S. Probability Survey

To understand how household context factors impacted self-reported changes in solo and sexual behaviors in U.S. adults during early stages of the COVID- 19 pandemic, we conducted an online, nationally representative, cross-sectional survey of U.S. adults (N = 1010; aged 18-94 years; 62% response rate) from April 10-20, 2020. We used weighted descriptive statistics with Wilcoxon rank sign tests to understand the population prevalence and significance of self-reported changes (five-point scale: much less to much more) in 10 solo and partnered sexual behaviors. Ordinal regression was used to assess the impact of household predictor variables-including number of children at home, number of adults in home, partnership status (unpartnered, partnered and not living together, partnered and living together) and employment status (not working, employed not as essential worker, employed as essential worker). All models were adjusted for gender, age, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, and residence location (urban, suburban, rural).All solo and partnered sexual behaviors showed some amount of significant change-increased activity for some and decreased for others-for U.S. adults during the pandemic. Not living with a partner was broadly associated with decreased affectionate partnered sexual behaviors; unpartnered adults reported increased sexting. Individuals not employed reported increased oral sex and increased consumption of sexually explicit materials as compared to non-essential workers. Number of children at home and household size were not significantly linked to self-reported behavior change. Ongoing sexual health-focused research should continue to focus on understanding how adults manage opportunities and constraints to their sexual lives in the context of a still-going pandemic. While many aspects of social life look more "normal" (e.g., many people have returned to their in-person offices and children are largely back in school), new and more-infectious strains of COVID-19 have proven that the pandemic may still yet impact daily living. Lessons learned from COVID need to include sexual health planning both for any future strains of COVID, as well as for future public health emergencies.

The way COVID-19 transforms our sexual lives

During the early stages of the outbreak, insufficient attention was paid to the impact on sexual function, which is logical in the face of potentially harmful and fatal infections. It is well documented that any close contact (6 feet or 2 m) with an infected person can result in exposure to SARS-CoV-2 so while coronavirus disease: (COVID-19) may not be “sexually transmitted” (through semen or vaginal fluids) the risks of proximal exposure are great—whether the activity is engaged in is sexual or not. For the last 3–4 months, scientific studies have shown that a mild or severe coronavirus infection can lead to sexual complications and prolonged libido problems as well as erectile dysfunction. Besides, following some barrier gestures during “face-to-face” sexual intercourse can be challenging. This paper focuses on the construction and prefiguration of a new paradigm of sexuality that distinguishes and associates sexual relations that take place in the presence of a real partner and those that take place within the context of a range of digital environments qualified as “virtual” that can provide safe contexts for erotic imagination and intimacy while both communicating and maintaining arousal. Together, they offer a vehicle for fantasy and entertainment of sexual arousal towards private pleasure.

Sexual Activity in Adolescents and Young Adults through COVID-19 Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been postulated that the sexual life of adolescent and young adults has been impacted in various aspects, potentially affecting their well-being. Our aim is to investigate the potential changes in the sexual activity and relationships of adolescents and young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. In general, a decrease in sexual desire was reported during the COVID-19 pandemic, in both genders. Fewer sexual intercourses and bonding behaviors between partners were associated with loneliness and depressive symptoms. On the contrary, an increase in sexual desire was expressed in a few people, with masturbation to be the most preferable means of satisfaction. The present paper highlights the multifaceted impact of COVID-19 upon the sexual life of adolescents and young adults during the ongoing pandemic. The changes observed in their sexual activity and relationships, could provide the basis of future preventive and educational programs.

COVID-19 et sexualités : l’émergence d’un nouveau paradigme des sexualités

Cet article vise à proposer un bilan provisoire de la recherche développée dans le contexte de la pandémie de COVID-19 depuis le début de l’année 2020. Il évalue les types de recherche déjà publiés, présente leurs méthodologies et analyse les questions posées. Il replace les recherches récentes dans la perspective de l’histoire des recherches empiriques sur la sexualité et notamment par rapport à celles qui ont été réalisées dans le contexte du VIH-sida. Situé dans une perspective d’histoire intellectuelle, l’article analyse les recherches actuellement développées comme la construction et la préfiguration d’un nouveau paradigme des sexualités qui distingue et associe les relations sexuelles qui se déroulent en présence d’un partenaire réel et celles qui se déroulent avec l’aide de toute une panoplie d’outils électroniques qualifiés de « virtuels » qui assurent un support à l’imagination et entretiennent l’excitation sexuelle en vue de la satisfaction personnelle.

L’impact de la pandémie de COVID-19 sur l’activité sexuelle et les pratiques sexuelles des célibataires et des personnes en couple dans une population germanophone

Objectif

L’objet de cette étude était d’analyser les variations dans les comportements sexuels des célibataires et des personnes en couple dans le contexte de la pandémie de COVID-19, en Allemagne, en Suisse et en Autriche.

Échantillon et méthodes de recherche

Les sujets ont été soumis à un questionnaire en ligne de nature transversale. Ce questionnaire portait notamment sur le profil sociodémographique, la socio-sexualité ainsi que les activités sexuelles pratiquées avant et pendant la pandémie et ce pour tous les participants. Il mesure par ailleurs, pour les sujets en couple, les sentiments d’attachement et l’attraction physique des participants pour leur partenaire et la satisfaction dans la relation.

Résultats

L’étude analyse les données de 1017 célibataires et de 1498 personnes en couple. En comparaison avec la période précédente, les sujets en couple se sont significativement moins masturbés pendant le confinement. Les célibataires se sont, quant à eux, plus souvent masturbé, sans que cette différence ne soit significative statistiquement. Pour les deux populations, la fréquence de la plupart des activités sexuelles a significativement décliné à partir du début du confinement, exception faite de la pénétration anale qui n’a pas enregistré de baisse prononcée chez les sujets en couple. Par ailleurs, chez ces derniers, l’étude souligne une forte corrélation entre les variables socio-sexuelles et l’attraction physique pour leur partenaire par rapport au nombre de d’activités sexuelles nouvellement pratiquées pendant le confinement. Une telle corrélation n’existe toutefois pas avec les sentiments d’attachement et la satisfaction par rapport à la relation.

Conclusion

Nos données confirment les résultats précédents d’effets potentiellement négatifs de la pandémie de COVID-19 et des mesures de distanciation physique sur les habitudes sexuelles des célibataires et des personnes en couple. D’autres études sont nécessaires pour identifier des facteurs de causalité et en étudier les effets à long terme sur la santé mentale et les relations amoureuses.

COVID-19 lockdown impact on cognitions and emotions experienced during sexual intercourse

Objectives

To study the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on cognitions and emotions felt during sexual intercourse by analyzing the responses of 1079 French-speaking subjects (338 men, 741 women, median age: 31 years) who participated in an online survey between April 27 and May 11, 2020.

Method

Negative sexual cognitions (NSC), positive sexual emotions (PSE) and negative sexual emotions (NSE) are assessed using a tool inspired by the Sexual Mode Questionnaire. Data are crossed with sociodemographic indicators, information on lockdown modalities, indices on sex life, information on psychological functioning and sexual satisfaction.

Main results

One third of the participants saw a decrease in the frequency of their sexual activities or in their sexual satisfaction. Changes in NSCs were found in 74.4% of subjects (increase: 38.4%; decrease: 36%). Emotional changes are found in between 50.7% (NSC: increase: 20.2%; decrease: 30.5%) and 60.9% (PSE: increase: 24.6%; decrease: 36.3%) of participants. The effect of lockdown on NSC, NSE, and PSE depends on gender at birth, intensity of depressive symptoms, and attachment styles. Women appear to be more vulnerable to lockdown than men. Insecure or depressed subjects also appear more vulnerable. The lockdown impact also depends on changes in the frequency of physical/digital intercourse during lockdown and the modalities of confinement. Changes in NSC, NSE, and PSE had a significant effect on sexual satisfaction during lockdown.

Conclusion

The lockdown impact on sexual emotions and cognitions is non-negligible and greater than the impact on sexual behaviors. Whether it is positive or negative, it asks about the post-confinement repercussions: what becomes of a positive impact with deconfinement? Will the negative impacts be one-off or will vulnerabilities be expressed over the long-term?

COVID-19 and sexualities: The emergence of a new paradigm of sexualities

This paper aims to propose a provisional assessment of the research developed in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic since the beginning of 2020. It reviews the types of research already published, presents their methodologies and analyzes the questions posed. It places recent research in the perspective of the history of empirical research on sexuality, particularly in relation to research carried out in the context of HIV/AIDS. Situated in an intellectual history perspective, the article analyzes research currently being developed as the construction and prefiguration of a new paradigm of sexualities that distinguishes and associates sexual relations that take place in the presence of a real partner and those that take place with the help of a whole range of electronic devices qualified as “virtual” that provide support for the imagination and maintain sexual arousal for personal satisfaction.

Impact du confinement COVID19 sur les cognitions et émotions sexuelles

Objectifs

Etudier l’impact du confinement COVID19 sur les cognitions et émotions ressenties lors des rapports sexuels par l’analyse des réponses de 1079 sujets francophones (338 hommes, 741 femmes, âge médian : 31 ans) ayant participé à une enquête en ligne entre le 27 avril et le 11 mai 2020.

Méthode

Les cognitions sexuelles négatives (CSN) et les émotions sexuelles positives (ESP) et négatives (ESN) sont recensées à partir d’un outil inspiré du Sexual Mode Questionnaire de Nobre et Pinto-Gouveia (2003). Les données sont croisées avec des indicateurs sociodémographiques, des informations concernant les modalités de confinement, des indices sur la vie sexuelle, des informations relatives au fonctionnement psychologique et la satisfaction sexuelle.

Principaux résultats

Un tiers des participants ont vu la fréquence de leurs activités sexuelles ou leur satisfaction sexuelle diminuer. Les CSN ont augmenté chez 38,4 % des sujets et diminué pour 36 % des participants. L’augmentation des ESN concerne 20.2 % des sujets, leur diminution concerne 30,5 %. Les ESP ont augmenté pour 24,6 % des participants et diminué pour 36,3 % d’entre eux. Les femmes, les sujets insécures et ceux présentant des symptômes dépressif apparaissent plus particulièrement fragilisées par le confinement. L’impact du confinement dépend également des changements de fréquence des relations sexuelles physiques/digitales pendant le confinement et des modalités de confinement. Les changements des CSN, des ESN et des ESP ont eu un effet significatif sur la satisfaction sexuelle ressentie pendant le confinement.

Conclusion

L’impact du confinement sur les émotions et cognitions sexuelles est non-négligeable et plus important que l’impact sur les comportements sexuels. Qu’il soit positif ou négatif, il interroge concernant les répercussions post-confinement : quel devenir d’un impact positif avec le déconfinement ? Les répercussions négatives seront-elles ponctuelles ou les vulnérabilités s’exprimeront-elles au long cours ?